Атлант расправил плечи
The Sanction of the Victim
Icouldsaytoyouthatyouwillandcanachievenothingbutuniversaldevastation—asanylootermust,whenherunsoutofvictims.Icouldsayit,butIwon’t.
ItisnotyourparticularpolicythatIchallenge,butyourmoralpremise.
Ifitweretruethatmencouldachievetheirgoodbymeansofturningsomemenintosacrificialanimals,andIwereaskedtoimmolatemyselfforthesakeofcreatureswhowantedtosurviveatthepriceofmyblood,ifIwereaskedtoservetheinterestsofsocietyapartfrom,aboveandagainstmyown—Iwouldrefuse,Iwouldrejectitasthemostcontemptibleevil,IwouldfightitwitheverypowerIpossess,Iwouldfightthewholeofmankind,ifoneminutewereallIcouldlastbeforeIweremurdered,Iwouldfightinthefullconfidenceofthejusticeofmybattleandofalivingbeing’srighttoexist.Lettherebenomisunderstandingaboutme.Ifitisnowthebeliefofmyfellowmen,whocallthemselvesthepublic,thattheirgoodrequiresvictims,thenIsay:Thepublicgoodbedamned,Iwillhavenopartofit!"
Thecrowdburstintoapplause.
Reardenwhirledaround,morestartledthanhisjudges.Hesawfacesthatlaughedinviolentexcitement,andfacesthatpleadedforhelp;hesawtheirsilentdespairbreakingoutintotheopen;hesawthesameangerandindignationashisown,findingreleaseinthewilddefianceoftheircheering;hesawthelooksofadmirationandthelooksofhope.
